Hi Sriyan,
I wish to thank all those that you emailed regarding my condition as they have spread the word far and wide and have generated awareness on the importance of registering with bone marrow registries worldwide. Lots of emails were received offering support, which I appreciate very much. Please could you circulate this email to all of them once again as a thanks.

The doctors said getting a match for me would be a 20% chance and even then, perhaps not a 100% match. My medical team had searched the registers worldwide and could not come up with a 100% match. Another lady is having just 30 days to find a match, and so far nothing, despite all efforts. That is why my son Yovaan and my daughter Yenushka commenced on the huge drive to register people on the UK and other registers. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack and my condition was getting worse by the month and could be moving towards Leukaemia, which would complicate it further.

Yesterday I met Prof Harrison my consultant and was told that they had found a 100% match. Not only was it a 100% match, but from a tissue typing point of view it was identical to mine so it is better than a 100% match. The Prof was shocked and said “some luck” but I can tell you it is nothing to do with luck.

The LORD had created the identical tissue type to mine in the donor, knowing in advance that this situation would arise. I thank and praise the LORD JESUS CHRIST for his grace and mercies. HE has heard our collective prayers and answered. I am confident that, what the LORD has begun HE will complete and I will be cured of this condition fully. So please do continue to pray for a successful transplant and for the post-transplant period to be free of infections and relapses.

Dear Sriyan,
Please could you circulate this to the Thomian databases you hold?

I have been diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disorder and my consultant has recommended that I undergo a stem cell transplant in the next few months. The problem is that very few people from South Asian decent have registered on the bone marrow registers internationally. As such they have not been able to find a 100% match for my tissue type as yet. If Thomians near and far, their adult children and their friends could be mobilised to register with the bone marrow registry in the country they live in, it may help me as well as others.

For old boys in the UK, signing up online takes less than 2 minutes. Once you have registered, they will send a cotton bud in the post. All one needs to do is swab the inside of their cheek with the cotton bud and send it back to them in the pre-paid envelope provided. I believe it is the same process in Canada. If one ever become a match for someone who needs stem cells, donating stem cells that are in your blood is as simple as donating blood.
Please click on the link below for the UK registerhttps://www.dkms.org.uk/en/register-now

If you live in another country, just google bone marrow registry and specify your country.

Unfortunately, there is no register in Sri Lanka yet, although one is pending. If you are not eligible for registering due to health or age issues or there is no registry in your country, please forward this to as many friends as possible.
Many thanks for your support.
Yevindra Ilangakoon